When Pope Francis holds a Catholic Mass in Manila this weekend, he's expected to draw up to six million people. But there are conflicting hopes and expectations for what he'll say to Asia's most populous Catholic country.

There is plenty at stake in Ukraine for many governments around the world, especially China. Beijing has developed strong ties with Ukraine in recent years, but Chinese leaders don't want to risk alienating their much more powerful friends in Moscow.

China has detained a prominent advocate for the Uighur ethnic minority in far western Xinjiang. The State Department has expressed its concern over the arrest of Ilham Tohti. The Chinese government is also cracking down on a group of anti-corruption activists called the "New Citizens Movement."

Updated

01/27/2014 - 12:00pm

Chinese documentary filmmaker Hu Jie uses personal stories to highlight some of the most difficult and horrific episodes in recent Communist Party history. Hu lives in Nanjing, China, where he continues to do his work, telling the stories that people don't want to talk about.

What will happen with the Obama administration's ballyhooed "Asia Pivot"? And what will come of the recent brinksmanship over disputed islands in the East China Sea? Kaiser Kuo and Jeremy Goldkorn of the Sinica podcast share their predictions of how US and China relations will play out in the coming year.

Cambodian police have killed at least three people during protests by garment workers in the nation's capital, Phnom Penh. Garment workers have launched a national strike to demand higher wages. Kate O'Keeffe of the Wall Street Journal says there is a political dimension to what's going on as well.

Just like in the US, weddings in China can cost a lot. But another headache for some Chinese couples planning to get married is pushy parents. So, some young people are deciding to go it alone on their wedding day — and that includes footing the bill themselves.

China's atheistic communist rulers now say that certain religious beliefs are worth promoting for the sake of national development. Only a generation ago, nearly all forms of religious worship were essentially banned in China. The World's Matthew Bell toured a park in the Chinese city of Nanjing, where people seek help from "higher powers."

The Pentagon moved quickly to challenge a newly-declared Chinese security zone in the East China Sea. On Tuesday, two US B-52 bombers flew near a chain of Pacific islands claimed by both China and Japan.

The Vergera family had 10 people before the storm. Now, there are three. They live on one meal a day amidst the debris, barricaded from thieves at night. But leaving is out of the question, at least for now.

A new study from the United Nations out last month revealed startling attitudes toward sex and sexual violence in six countries across the Asia Pacific region. In one example, the study revealed that 25 percent of the men studied in Cambodia admitted to having committed rape.

In Chinese cities like Beijing, a rising awareness about the dangers of air pollution is evident on people's faces. More and more Beijingers are wearing masks to protect themselves from air pollution. But, in order for them to offer any protection at all, they first must be worn correctly.

China's atheistic communist rulers now say that certain religious beliefs are worth promoting for the sake of national development. Only a generation ago, nearly all forms of religious worship were essentially banned in China. The World's Matthew Bell toured a park in the Chinese city of Nanjing, where people seek help from "higher powers."

Cambodian police have killed at least three people during protests by garment workers in the nation's capital, Phnom Penh. Garment workers have launched a national strike to demand higher wages. Kate O'Keeffe of the Wall Street Journal says there is a political dimension to what's going on as well.

There is plenty at stake in Ukraine for many governments around the world, especially China. Beijing has developed strong ties with Ukraine in recent years, but Chinese leaders don't want to risk alienating their much more powerful friends in Moscow.

President Barack Obama has announced his intention to shift America's foreign policy away from Iraq and Afghanistan and toward China and Asia in general. That could be easier, some experts say, in a second term. But he may be boxed in by budget cuts. And what if Mitt Romney wins? What will he do?

The Vergera family had 10 people before the storm. Now, there are three. They live on one meal a day amidst the debris, barricaded from thieves at night. But leaving is out of the question, at least for now.

The Pentagon moved quickly to challenge a newly-declared Chinese security zone in the East China Sea. On Tuesday, two US B-52 bombers flew near a chain of Pacific islands claimed by both China and Japan.

Just like in the US, weddings in China can cost a lot. But another headache for some Chinese couples planning to get married is pushy parents. So, some young people are deciding to go it alone on their wedding day — and that includes footing the bill themselves.

What will happen with the Obama administration's ballyhooed "Asia Pivot"? And what will come of the recent brinksmanship over disputed islands in the East China Sea? Kaiser Kuo and Jeremy Goldkorn of the Sinica podcast share their predictions of how US and China relations will play out in the coming year.

Updated

01/27/2014 - 12:00pm

Chinese documentary filmmaker Hu Jie uses personal stories to highlight some of the most difficult and horrific episodes in recent Communist Party history. Hu lives in Nanjing, China, where he continues to do his work, telling the stories that people don't want to talk about.

China's atheistic communist rulers now say that certain religious beliefs are worth promoting for the sake of national development. Only a generation ago, nearly all forms of religious worship were essentially banned in China. The World's Matthew Bell toured a park in the Chinese city of Nanjing, where people seek help from "higher powers."

The Vergera family had 10 people before the storm. Now, there are three. They live on one meal a day amidst the debris, barricaded from thieves at night. But leaving is out of the question, at least for now.

When Pope Francis holds a Catholic Mass in Manila this weekend, he's expected to draw up to six million people. But there are conflicting hopes and expectations for what he'll say to Asia's most populous Catholic country.

China has detained a prominent advocate for the Uighur ethnic minority in far western Xinjiang. The State Department has expressed its concern over the arrest of Ilham Tohti. The Chinese government is also cracking down on a group of anti-corruption activists called the "New Citizens Movement."

There is plenty at stake in Ukraine for many governments around the world, especially China. Beijing has developed strong ties with Ukraine in recent years, but Chinese leaders don't want to risk alienating their much more powerful friends in Moscow.

In Chinese cities like Beijing, a rising awareness about the dangers of air pollution is evident on people's faces. More and more Beijingers are wearing masks to protect themselves from air pollution. But, in order for them to offer any protection at all, they first must be worn correctly.

Just like in the US, weddings in China can cost a lot. But another headache for some Chinese couples planning to get married is pushy parents. So, some young people are deciding to go it alone on their wedding day — and that includes footing the bill themselves.

What will happen with the Obama administration's ballyhooed "Asia Pivot"? And what will come of the recent brinksmanship over disputed islands in the East China Sea? Kaiser Kuo and Jeremy Goldkorn of the Sinica podcast share their predictions of how US and China relations will play out in the coming year.

The Pentagon moved quickly to challenge a newly-declared Chinese security zone in the East China Sea. On Tuesday, two US B-52 bombers flew near a chain of Pacific islands claimed by both China and Japan.